“The Stranger's Song” as printed in Wessex Poems and Other Verses (1899).
Thomas Hardy: Collected Lyrics Text 40 1899 · historical text
Public domainSong lyricsWessex verse
Complete public-domain lyrics
This text comes from Wessex Poems and Other Verses, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.
Verse 1
O MY trade it is the rarest one,
Simple shepherds all—
My trade is a sight to see;
For my customers I tie, and take 'em up on high,
And waft 'em to a far countree!
My tools are but common ones,
Simple shepherds all—
Verse 2
My tools are no sight to see:
A little hempen string, and a post whereon to swing,
Are implements enough for me!
To-morrow is my working day,
Simple shepherds all—
To-morrow is a working day for me:
For the farmer's sheep is slain, and the lad who did it ta'en,
